City comparison
Bridgeport, CT vs Norwich, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Bridgeport, CT are 6.4% higher than in Norwich, CT. Someone earning $100,000 in Norwich, CT would need about $106,400 in Bridgeport, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,100 a month in Bridgeport, CT versus $1,496 in Norwich, CT. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Bridgeport, CT and 24% in Norwich, CT.
- Both are in CT, so estimated state income tax is the same: $3,925 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.3% moving from Bridgeport, CT to Norwich, CT ($125,431 → $120,094), while prices change by −6.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.9% in real buying power.
- Bridgeport, CT: price level 106.9 (pricier)
- Norwich, CT: price level 100.4 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bridgeport, CT | Norwich, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.9 | 100.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,993 in Norwich | $106,391 in Bridgeport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,100/mo | $1,496/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 33% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,470 | $57,370 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT MSA and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT MSA. Metro areas: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT and Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bridgeport | Norwich |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 150.5 | 93.7 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 147.1 | 148.6 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 106.9 | 100.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bridgeport, CT → Norwich, CT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
89 Strong offer
Norwich, CT → Bridgeport, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.0%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
37 Weak offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Bridgeport, CT is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Norwich, CT is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Bridgeport, CT to Norwich, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bridgeport, CT | Norwich, CT | Real change, Bridgeport → Norwich |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $69,642 | +1.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $84,260 | +1.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $100,992 | +1.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $120,094 | +1.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $141,915 | +1.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bridgeport, CT | Norwich, CT | Norwich pay in Bridgeport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $123,180 | $101,860 | $108,369 (−12.0%) |
| Software Developers | $162,650 | $123,780 | $131,690 (−19.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $102,020 | $82,530 | $87,804 (−13.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $105,660 | $101,330 | $107,806 (+2.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.